When the school finishes I always think of a story from the book that I got as my end-of-school award years ago. A book bursting with colours and cheerful illustrations that unveils adventures of two bold rascals: ZooZoo and Funio, their kind if eccentric auntie, Teetlee, and a smart supercool girl, Ala, who all live on a peculiar holiday destination island of Umplee-Tumplee. Funny and curious things happen there that involve flying octopus, dog-size snail, ballerina roses and snapping pea pods. You can read one of them here on the blog. This particular story is of nettles and a very unusual training they provide.
The Stone Heads and the Shorter Way to School
(Translated from Polish original Latająca Ośmiornica by Mirosław Stecewicz and Leon Korn)
There are two ways leading from the round house of Auntie Teetlee to school. The longer one that goes through the local park and the shorter one that goes through the lane of the Stone Heads. The Stone Heads stand magnificently like trees on each side of the path and you need to bow to every single one of them to pass through. If you do not bow, the Stone Heads begin to rock and move back and forth until they hit you with their stone forehead. So, if you forget to be polite and kind you will leave with bruises all over your body.
All the kids know perfectly well of that and choose a safer longer way through the park. So did Zoozoo and Funio. But then one day Zoozoo decided to take the shorter route.
‘Listen, ‘ he said to Funio, ‘There’s something more beyond the Stone Heads. A sort of green tunnel. I saw it yesterday when Ala was walking that way. First, she bowed to all the Stone Heads. She invented various bows as if she did not want to repeat the same bow for any of the Stone Heads. And then, when she entered the Green Tunnel, she started to twirl and spin around. You could see her legs and hands swinging in the air as if she was doing handstands. So today, we will follow her and discover what is was.’
‘No, no, no, no, no,’ said Funio, ‘You will have to go on your own. My neck is too stiff today and there’s no way I could bow to the Stone Heads.’
And so they split and each went their own way. Funio, who chose the longer way, got to school first. And he waited a good while until Zoozoo finally arrived. And what a sight he was! His hands and legs were itchy red and Zoozoo was scratching himself with anger.
‘What’s the matter with you?’ shouted Funio, ‘Were you attacked by a scourge of mosquitoes?’
‘Much worst than that,’ sighted Zoozoo ‘You were right all the way, Funio, to take the longer way. Well, the Stone Heads lane was not that bad, at all. I bowed gently to each head and nothing happened. But once you pass the Stone Heads, you enter the Nettle Tunnel. And there are nettles the size of sunflowers on each side of the path. Absolutely unbelievable.’
“Listen, Zoozoo,” the nettles said to me, “The Stone Heads teach you to be polite and we teach you to dance. Now, are you willing to dance or do you need a little help from us?”
‘They looked so terrifying that I really had no choice. I waved my hands and legs the best I could but apparently that was not good enough and so the nettles began to help me. I mean, they stung me. When I left the tunnel I could hear them muttering, “Not so bad for the first time. Just needs a bit of work, that’s it.'”
‘And what you say to that, Funio?’, Zoozoo asked.
‘I think,’ Funio slowly replied, ‘that you should avoid the shorter way to school.’
‘As if I could,’ Zoozoo said,’ ‘But that’s not even the end of the story.’
‘Not the end,’ Funio shouted, ‘So there was something else!?’
Zoozoo nodded sadly. ‘As soon as I leaped out of the Nettle Tunnel I bumped into Ala. Guess what, she was waiting there for me. She shook her head, threw her long plait in the air, fluttered her eyelashes and said “Not bad for the first time. A bit more practice and I might even have a partner for the annual ball.”
‘So you see, Funio, that’s why I will have to take the shorter way to school now.’ Zoozoo said. ‘I will have to bow to the Stone Heads and dance with the Nettles. I could not possibly disappoint the girl.’
Hope you will think of the story the next time you’re out and about and trying to pass between the nettles. You might even try a little dance.
Have a happy and healthy summer.
Sonia's Storyge 